President Trump is continuing to air his grievances against the press, calling them "the fake, fake disgusting news." He told a rally crowd in Pennsylvania on Thursday that the media refuses to give him credit for a long list of accomplishments. (Aug. 2)
AP

At nearly every one of his rallies, President Donald Trump rails against the media, often saying they are "the enemy of the American people." The chant, "CNN sucks!" is as much a staple of these gatherings as Trump's bragging about his 2016 election or demeaning his opponent in that race, Hillary Clinton.

His followers are listening. In a poll released Tuesday, 44 percent of Republicans surveyed say they believe the president should be able to shut down news outlets for "bad behavior" (whatever that is; presumably it's saying anything critical about Trump or the administration).

What a stupid idea. Of course, an idea is all it is, and it seems impossible to carry out legally. After all, 100 percent of my children think they should be able to eat ice cream for breakfast. The media are protected by the U.S. Constitution, specifically the sanctity of the First Amendment. As for my kids, my stubbornness is all that's protecting the sanctity of breakfast.

That some people distrust and even hate the media isn't exactly news. I can only speak anecdotally, but my criticism of Trump's attack on media have led readers to heap more derision on me in 18 months than in the last 30 years. But for anyone to believe a president should be able to silence critics in the legitimate media is just crazy.

You'd hope, at least.

Media are enemy, said 48 percent of Republicans polled

There's more. It's mostly Republicans, but not exclusively: Roughly a quarter of all people surveyed (26 percent) thought the president should have that power according to the poll, conducted by Ipsos.

And yes, 48 percent of Republicans surveyed believe that the media are, indeed, the enemy of the American people.

Someone tell them that Ivanka Trump and Kellyanne Conway think they are not, actually, the enemy. Maybe that'll turn a few around. More likely, it wouldn't.

Wake the hell up. This is absurd, of course. If anything has become abundantly clear since Trump took office, it's that a vigorous, skeptical media is just about the last, best hope for the country. Trump and those in his administration have been brazen in their disregard for niceties like the rule of law; imagine what they'd be getting away with if the media weren't reporting on, say, former EPA chief Scott Pruitt's ethical lapses. Or hey, maybe fiscal conservatives are OK with a $43,000 soundproof phone booth in his office — for which taxpayers footed the bill.

Pruitt resigned in what would have been disgrace in any other administration, but was just another Thursday for this one.

CLOSE

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders is refusing to say she does not think the media is the "enemy" of the American people. Sanders was pressed on the question Thursday by CNN correspondent Jim Acosta during a White House briefing. (Aug. 2)
AP

Growing lack of faith in media

One of the first things you learn when you become a reporter is that you're going to make people mad. That's what happens when you tell the truth — some people want to hide it, and others don't want to hear it. Unfortunately, those are often the people who need to hear it most.

But that's the price of doing business. If you've a reporter who's never been yelled at, you probably haven't been doing your job. In other words, just because people don't like you doing your job doesn't prevent you from doing it. Journalism has never been a popularity contest.

What's more troubling is the growing lack of faith in legitimate media. For some, anything reported in a traditional outlet, like the New York Times or Washington Post, is false on its face. But something reported on an alt-right website? Well that's just fine. There are people who still genuinely believe that Hillary Clinton was involved in a sex-trafficking ring run out of the basement of a pizza joint that doesn't even have a basement. There's no cure for stupid. But there are repercussions from it. What if you tell the truth and no one believes it? It's like an episode of "The Twilight Zone."

And that is exactly how Trump wants it.

That's why he disparages the media — he wants to undercut people's faith in legitimate reporting on him that's unflattering, or worse. He stomps his feet and yells, "Fake news!" till he's blue in the face. A couple of years ago, that seemed laughable. Now it seems terrifying — not that Trump would do such a thing, but that some people would listen to and believe him.

Media aren't perfect

Once again it's important to point out that the media aren't perfect. There's no question media criticism of Trump is unrivaled in our lifetimes. He brings a lot of that on himself, but it's easy to get sucked into the personal nature of Trump's taunts. When we do that, it benefits no one. Does anyone outside the White House briefing room really care to watch CNN's Jim Acosta and press secretary Sarah Sanders go round and round, sniping at each other? Save it for the memoirs.

Yes, we make mistakes. And we correct them. The most important thing we do is get back after it the next day, looking for the truth and offering it to whomever will hear it.

Some will. In a bit of good news, the poll found that 85 percent of Americans agree that “Freedom of the press is essential for American democracy.” It's a good start.